Lock means for slide gate of hopper outlet assembly

ABSTRACT

Lock means for selectively blocking rotation of an operating shaft for a slide gate in a hopper outlet assembly whereby to prevent opening of the gate.

United States Patent [191 Fischer 1 July 8, 1975 [54] LOCK MEANS FOR SLIDE GATE OF 3,392,600 7/1968 Floehr.......... ............v. 105/308 R X 3,397,654 8/l968 Snyder.... l05/305 HOPPER OUTLET ASSEMBLY 3,707,l26 l2/l972 Nester .0 105/282 P [75] Inventor: Robert T. Fischer, Homewood, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Miner Enterprises Inc., Chicago, Ill Primary Examiner M Henson wood Jr. [22] Filed: June 14, 1974 Assistant Examiner-John .I. Love Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Johnson, Dienner, Emrich 21 Appl. No.. 479,217 & Wagner [52] US. Cl 105/308 R; 105/282 P [5 lnt. [58] Field of Search 105/282 P, 305, 308 R, l 1

105/308 308 308 B Lock means for selectively blocking rotation of an opcrating shaft for a slide gate in a hopper outlet assem- [56] Rderences C'ted bly whereby to prevent opening of the gate.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/l956 Zimmer 105/305 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SHEET Jun-A k" v PMENTEDJUL 8 ms SHEET FIELD OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. I and 2, there is indicated The present invention pertains generally to hopper generally by the reference numeral a hopper outlet outlet assemblies, which are adapted for use in connection with railroad hopper cars, and through which lading within the car is adapted to be discharged by gravity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general, a hopper outlet assembly includes a rectangular main frame defining a discharge opening through which lading can flow by gravity, a gate slidably supported in the main frame, and an operating shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame adjacent the rear portion thereof for selectively moving the gate forwardly and rearwardly between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening.

The present invention is concerned with lock means for selectively blocking rotation of the operating shaft to prevent opening of the gate. The lock means comprises a stop member secured to the operating shaft and presenting a bearing surface which faces rearwardly when the gate is in closed position. a lock shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame parallel to the operating shaft rearwardly thereof, and a radially extending lock hub unit secured to the lock shaft adjacent the stop member and presenting an arcuate cam surface.

The lock hub unit is normally rotatable in one direction to pivot the cam surface into engagement with the bearing surface when the gate is in its fully closed position to block rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its fully closed position. The lock hub unit may be inactivated by rotation in the other direction to pivot the cam surface out of engagement with the bearing surface to permit rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its closed position.

In addition, a radially extending follower arm is secured to the lock shaft and is engageable with the underside of the gate when the latter is open whereby the lock hub unit is maintained inactivated until the gate is substantially closed.

The lock means of the present invention may be operated from either side of the hopper outlet assembly, can be interlocked only when the gate is closed, and is arranged to substantially prevent accidental unlocking thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of a hopper outlet assembly incorporating the lock means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the hopper outlet assembly of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view taken substantially along the line 33 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view corresponding generally to FIG. 3, but shows certain elements in changed positions; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding generally to FIG. 4, but shows certain elements in changed positions.

assembly which is secured to the bottom of a conventional hopper 12 of a railroad hopper car.

The hopper outlet assembly 10 is comprised of a generally horizontal rectangular main frame 14 having side frame sections 16 with support ledges 18, a from frame section 20 with a support ledge 22, and a rear frame section (FIG. 4) which includes an upper wall unit 24 and a lower channel bar unit 26 with a support ledge 28. These frame sections are suitably secured together as by welding, and serve to define a discharge opening through which lading can flow by gravity from the hopper 12.

A generally horizontal rectangular slide gate 30 is slidably supported in the main frame 14 on the support ledges 18, 22 and 28. Secured to the underside of the gate 30, as a part thereof, are a pair of transversely spaced inverted rack members 32 which have meshing engagement with a pair of pinions 34 secured to a transverse operating shaft 36 rotatably mounted in the side frame sections 16 adjacent the rear portion of the main frame I4. The ends of the operating shaft 36 are provided with suitable socket members 38 formed with a plurality of radial openings 40 for the reception of a removable bar, whereby the shaft 36 may be selectively rotated for moving the gate 30 forwardly and rearwardly between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening.

The lock means of the present invention for securing the slide gate 30 in closed position across the discharge opening comprises stop members 42 secured to the operating shaft 36 adjacent the ends thereof. Each stop member 42 (FIG. 3) is in the form of an angle bracket having a web portion 44 which presents a bearing surface 46 that faces rearwardly when the gate 30 is in closed position, and having a flange portion 48 with an aperture 50 therethrough.

A transverse lock shaft 52 is rotatably mounted in the side frame sections 16 parallel to the operating shaft 36 rearwardly thereof. Radially extending lock hub units 54 are secured to the lock shaft 52 at the ends thereof, adjacent the stop members 42. Each lock hub unit 54 (FIG. 3) includes a laterally outwardly projecting ledge 56 with an aperture 58 therethrough, and radially outer curved cam plate 60 which presents an arcuate cam surface 62. A radially extending follower arm 64 (FIGS. 2 and 4) is also secured to the lock shaft 52 intermediate the sides of the gate 30. In addition, stop bars 66 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are secured to the side frame section 16, and cooperating ring sectors 68 are secured to the lock shaft 52.

Operationally, the lock hub units 54 normally tend to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 3 to pivot the cam surfaces 62 into engagement with the bearing surfaces 46 when the gate 30 is in its fully closed position. The cam surfaces 62 are fully engaged when the cam plates 60 abut the flange portions 48 of the stop members 42. The lock hub units 54, when disposed as shown in FIG. 3, block rotation of the operating shaft 36 and movement of the gate 30 away from its fully closed position. Also, when the lock hub units 54 are so disposed, seal units 70 may be fastened through the apertures 50 and 58.

The axes of the operating shaft 36 and the lock shaft 52 lie in a common plane, the center of curvature of the cam surfaces 62 is offset below the axis of the lock shaft 52 whereby to provide negative cam profiles, and normal locking engagement of the cam surfaces 62 with the bearing surfaces 46 occurs overcenter along a line that lies below a plane which is perpendicular to the bearing surfaces 46 and which passes through the axis of the lock shaft 52. By reason of this arrangement, accidental unlocking of the lock means is substantially prevented, and any attempt to rotate the operating shaft 36 to open the gate 30 increases the locking interfit between the lock hub units 54 and the stop member 42.

To inactivate the lock means, the ledge 56 of one lock hub unit 54 at either side of the assembly 10 is manually grasped and rotated from the position shown in FIG. 3 through the dotted line position shown in FIG. 5 to the solid line fully unlocked position established by contact of the ring sectors 68 with the stop bars 66. R- tation of one unit 54 effects rotation of the other unit 54 through the lock shaft 52, initial rotation of the units 54 serves to break the seal units 70, and rotation of both units pivots the cam surfaces 62 out of engagement with and away from the bearing surfaces 46. At the same time, the follower arm 64 is pivoted by the lock shaft 52 from the position shown in FIG. 4 through the dotted line position shown in FIG. 6 to the solid line position. With the lock means thus unlocked, the operating shaft 36 may be rotated for opening the gate 30.

Upon release of the grasped lock hub unit 54, and when the gate 30 is open, the follower arm 64 engages the underside of the gate 30, or more particularly the adjacent rack member 32, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6. In this manner, the lock hub units 54 are maintained inactivated in the dotted line position shown in FIG. until the gate is substantially closed. As the rear end of the gate 30 clears the follower arm 64, the lock hub units 54 are again activated for rotation into locking engagement with the stop members 42.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various rearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

I. For use in a hopper outlet assembly including a generally rectangular main frame having a front frame section and a rear frame section and side frame sections defining a discharge opening through which lading can flow by gravity, a generally rectangular gate slidably supported in the main frame, and a transverse operating shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame adjacent the rear portion thereof for selectively moving the gate forwardly and rearwardly between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening, lock means comprising a stop member secured to the operating shaft and presenting a bearing surface which faces rearwardly when the gate is in closed position, a transverse lock shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame parallel to the operating shaft rearwardly thereof, a radially extending lock hub unit secured to said lock shaft adjacent said stop member and presenting an arcuate cam surface, said lock hub unit normally being rotatable in one direction to pivot said cam surface into engagement with said bearing surface when the gate is in its fully closed position to block rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its fully closed position, said lock hub unit being inactivated by rotation in the other direction to pivot said cam surface out of engagement with said bearing surface to permit rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its closed position, and a radially extending follower arm secured to said lock shaft and being engageable with the underside of the gate when the latter is open whereby said lock hub unit is maintained inactivated until the gate is substantially closed.

2. The lock means of claim 1 wherein normal engagement of said cam surface with said bearing surface occurs overcenter along a line that lies below a plane which is perpendicular to said bearing surface and which passes through the axis of said lock shaft whereby accidental unlocking of said lock means is substantially prevented.

3. The lock means of claim 2 wherein the center of curvature of said cam surface is offset below the axis of said lock shaft whereby any attempt to rotate the operating shaft to move the gate away from its fully closed position increases the locking interfit between said lock hub unit and said stop member. 

1. For use in a hopper outlet assembly including a generally rectangular main frame having a front frame section and a rear frame section and side frame sections defining a discharge opening through which lading can flow by gravity, a generally rectangular gate slidably supported in the main frame, and a transverse operating shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame adjacent the rear portion thereof for selectively moving the gate forwardly and rearwardly between open and closed positions relative to the discharge opening, lock means comprising a stop member secured to the operating shaft and presenting a bearing surface which faces rearwardly when the gate is in closed position, a transverse lock shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame parallel to the operating shaft rearwardly thereof, a radially extending lock hub unit secured to said lock shaft adjacent said stop member and presenting an arcuate cam surface, said lock hub unit normally being rotatable in one direction to pivot said cam surface into engagement with said bearing surface when the gate is in its fully closed position to block rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its fully closed position, said lock hub unit being inactivated by rotation in the other direction to pivot said cam surface out of engagement with said bearing surface to permit rotation of the operating shaft and movement of the gate away from its closed position, and a radially extending follower arm secured to said lock shaft and being engageable with the underside of the gate when the latter is open whereby said lock hub unit is maintained inactivated until the gate is substantially closed.
 2. The lock means of claim 1 wherein normal engagement of said cam surface with said bearing surface occurs overcenter along a line that lies below a plane which is perpendicular to said bearing surface and which passes through the axis of said lock shaft whereby accidental unlocking of said lock means is substantially prevented.
 3. The lock means of claim 2 wherein the center of curvature of said cam surface is offset below the axis of said lock shaft whereby any attempt to rotate the operating shaft to move the gate away from its fully closed position increases the locking interfit between said lock hub unit and said stop member. 